Stings aim to improve pedestrian safety

June 07, 2008|By Chicago Tribune

Undercover Chicago police officers will pose as pedestrians attempting to cross the street at corners during traffic stings set to start next week to nab drivers who fail to yield to people in crosswalks, officials said Friday.

The initiative, originally to have started last year, is part of the city's Safe Streets for Chicago campaign.

Other tactics aimed at calming traffic to improve safety and encouraging more people to walk include redesigning intersections and crosswalks to make pedestrians more visible to motorists and shortening the distance they must walk in traffic lanes, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

The city also is increasing enforcement through the expanded use of red-light violation cameras and issuing to police officers more speed-monitoring devices that can determine a vehicle's speed from greater distances, officials said.

On average, more than one pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident each week in Chicago, police records show.

The first undercover pedestrian operation will be conducted Monday at Belmont and Lawndale Avenues, officials said. It will be followed by a second sting June 17 at Lawndale and Milwaukee Avenue.

Warning citations will be issued initially, but they will be followed shortly by tickets carrying fines and points against a driver's record upon conviction.